The present invention generally relates to a physical exercise apparatus and, more specifically, to an apparatus that improves upon exercise rollers by adding more versatility and enhanced utility in physical fitness training activities such as muscle building exercises, stretching, and massage therapy.
Conventional exercise rollers are used in exercises in physiotherapy, Pilates, yoga, and rehabilitation. They are typically solid foam structures with a smooth surface and are available in variety of hardnesses, depending on the desired result and/or the particular preference of a user. Conventional exercise rollers are ideal for stretching exercises and can help improve stability and flexibility of the user and are useful for assisting with core strength and balance training.
Foam exercise rollers have recently become popular outside of the personal training and physical therapy realms and are now being used to assist people in training and exercising on their own. As such, there is a need for exercise rollers that provide users with a broader range of exercise options as well as easy portability. The present invention aims to provide exercise rollers that are portable whole body exercise tools for multiple purpose use as a core fitness development apparatus, an accessory to general fitness, and a therapeutic and/or rehabilitative aid. Such an apparatus can aid with general stretching, body rolling, and balance training, while also including features that enable users to perform muscle-building exercises, such as deadlifts or weight-assisted core-strengthening exercises, or specific sports-related exercises, such as golf exercises, tennis exercises, volleyball exercises, or sailing exercises.
The concept of designing exercise rollers for personal use is not new. However, none of the prior art provides a whole body exercise tool as described above. For example, the following consumer products and patents/patent applications are examples of various exercise roller apparatuses currently known in the art:                The ProUnit Performance Trainer, as described at http://www.exercisewithafoamroller.com/, is a currently-marketed exercise roller that is used for a broad range of exercises. This device has handles on either end of the roller, but cannot be used to effectively perform weightlifting activities, such as deadlifts.        OPTP is a manufacturer of foam exercise rollers, such as the OPTP Mobil-izer™ Roll, which has an outer foam layer and a solid PVC core.        WO2013001314 discloses a physical exercise apparatus comprising a hollow cylindrical device having first and second end caps, at least one of which is removable from its respective end region, which enclose a hollow space in which other exercise tools may be stored. The roller itself is of a fixed weight.        Poirier, U.S. Pat. No. 8,556,837 B1, discloses a therapeutic roller apparatus that includes soft foam material sleeve that is mounted about a rigid plastic roller that contains a vibration assembly. The vibration assembly includes a weight and motor together, which provide a vibratory effect when operated that is transferred through to the outer soft foam material sleeve.        Godfrey et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,500,663 B2, discloses a vibrating massage roller similar to Poirier, but emphasizes the design of the vibrational assembly (i.e., an assembly utilizing a plurality of supports and eccentric weights).        Castiglione, U.S. Pat. App. No. 2011/0300995, discloses a foam roller comprised of at least two sub exercise roller units connected together to form a single exercise roller and separable to be usable as separate exercise rollers.        
The exercise rollers described above are generally useful but do not disclose the improved features of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention now satisfied a need in the art for compact, portable exercise rollers that provide (1) easy weight adjustments between exercises, (2) a storage compartment for securing additional weights, (3) a configuration that aids in the performance of many common weightlifting exercises, and (4) easy portability for exercising at home, with a trainer, or on-the-go.